GLAAD - Tom Harkinhttp://www.glaad.org/tags/tom-harkin
enENDA expected to be Reintroduced to Congress Todayhttp://www.glaad.org/blog/enda-expected-be-reintroduced-congress-today
<div class="field field-name-field-blog-featured field-type-file field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span id="styles-0-0" class="styles file-styles 750px"> <img src="http://www.glaad.org/sites/default/files/styles/750px/public/map%5B1%5D.jpg?itok=CoO4Sjg5" alt="" title="" /></span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p>The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) is expected to be reintroduced to Congress later today. Now that former sponsor Representative Barney Frank has retired, the bill will be introduced in the House by Rep. Jared Polis, a democrat from Colorado, who is the most senior openly gay member of the house. It is<img class="media-image" height="243" id="2" style="width: 180px; height: 243px; margin-right: 5px; margin-left: 5px; float: right;" width="180" src="http://www.glaad.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/jared_polis%5B1%5D_0.jpg?itok=_cTJfuIz" alt="" /> currently being reviewed, though it is unclear what might be changed from the last time the bill was introduced. In the Senate, the bill will be introduced by Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon. Along with Merkley, the Senate version will have four original sponsors; Democrats Tom Harkin of Iowa and Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, and Republicans Mark Kirk, of Illinois, and Susan Collins, of Maine.</p>
<p>The first incarnation of ENDA, the Equality Act, was introduced on the fifth anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion in 1974. After the defeat of that act, the new bill, which only focused on employment discrimination wasn't introduced until 1994. ENDA has been introduced into every session of congress since then, except for the 109<sup>th</sup>. </p>
<p>In 2007, ENDA was introduced for the first time with protections against discrimination based on both sexual orientation and gender identity. That version of the bill died in committee. It was then introduced with the provision for gender identity removed and passed the House but was never brought to committee or the floor of the Senate. After it died in the Senate, it was generally agreed upon by advocates that all future versions of the bill had include provisions for gender identity.<img class="media-image" height="182" id="2" style="width: 425px; height: 182px;" width="425" src="http://www.glaad.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/Freedom%2520to%2520Work%2520smaller-2%5B1%5D.jpg?itok=2c4v0jLE" alt="" /></p>
<p>Though the bill will very likely die in the House of Representatives, Tico Almeida, president of Freedom to Work, told the <a href="http://www.washingtonblade.com/2013/04/23/enda-introduction-set-for-thursday/">Washington Blade</a> there is a reason for introducing the bill at this time.</p>
<p>“After the Supreme Court rules in the Windsor marriage case, many right-wingers are going to denounce marriage equality for same-sex couples, but claim that they don’t believe in discrimination against LGBT Americans,” Almeida explained. “That’s the time when we should call some of those bluffs by putting ENDA on the Senate floor and letting all 100 senators go on the record about whether hardworking Americans should get fired just because of who they are or who they love.”</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pubdate field-type-datetime field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">April 25, 2013</span></div></div></div>
<div class="field field-name-field-issues field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix clearfix">
<div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div>
<ul class="field-items">
<li class="field-item even"><a href="/issues/news">News</a></li>
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<div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix clearfix">
<div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div>
<ul class="field-items">
<li class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/employment-nondiscrimination">employment nondiscrimination</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/enda">ENDA</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/jared-polis">Jared Polis</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/freedom-work">Freedom to Work</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/jeff-merkley">Jeff Merkley</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/tammy-baldwin">Tammy Baldwin</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/mark-kirk">Mark Kirk</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/susan-collins">Susan Collins</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/tom-harkin">Tom Harkin</a></li>
</ul>
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Tue, 23 Apr 2013 19:42:52 +0000hannahmoch65415 at http://www.glaad.orghttp://www.glaad.org/blog/enda-expected-be-reintroduced-congress-today#commentsKylar Broadus Makes History Before Senatehttp://www.glaad.org/blog/kylar-broadus-makes-history-senate
<div class="field field-name-field-blog-featured field-type-file field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p>This afternoon Kylar Broadus, founder of the Trans People of Color Coalition <a href="http://www.transpoc.org/index.php/our-mission">(TPOCC</a>) became the <a href="http://feministing.com/2012/06/12/kylar-broadus-first-transgender-person-to-testify-before-the-senate/">first trans person ever to testify before the US Senate</a>. Broadus's testimony was in support of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, or ENDA. Watch his testimony here:</p>
<p><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="" title="video/youtube" src="/modules/file/icons/video-x-generic.png" /><a href="/" type="video/youtube; length=0">conAzL2wCKE</a></span></p>
<p><a href="http://www.washingtonblade.com/2012/06/12/trans-advocate-testifies-before-senate-on-enda/">Broadus discussed the discriminiation he faced</a> as a transgender man in his career.</p>
<blockquote><p><img class="media-image" height="95" id="2" style="height: 95px; width: 150px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; float: left;" width="150" src="http://www.glaad.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/Kylar-Broadus-ENDA-Testimony-300x189.jpg?itok=HXCUY_30" alt="" />In the early 1990s, Broadus worked for a major financial institution, although he didn’t disclose its name during the hearing. After announcing in 1995 he would undergo gender transitioning, Broadus said he was forced out of his role.</p>
<p>“At work, when I decided to actually transition, I had been there for a number of years, and I’m a workaholic, and it was disheartening to me that all this could be pulled out from under me because people weren’t comfortable with the person that I am,” Broadus said.</p>
<p>His written testimony details receiving harassing phone calls, receiving assignments after hours that were due early next morning and being forbidden from talking to certain people.</p>
<p>“I still sit here today with almost tears in my eyes,” Broadus said. “It’s devastating, it’s demoralizing and dehumanizing to be put in that position.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2012/06/12/498293/enda-trans-witness/">Think Progress</a> reports that Iowa Democratic Senator Tom Harkin expressed pride in the committee for inviting Broadus to speak.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.towleroad.com/2012/06/watch-live-senate-help-committee-holds-hearing-on-employment-non-discrimination-act-enda.html">ENDA</a> has been the subject of many debates within the gay community since 2007, when a <a href="http://votesmart.org/public-statement/306088/employment-non-discrimination-act-of-2007">version of it that did not protect transgender people</a> was introduced in the House, and has been <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2012/06/12/498293/enda-trans-witness/">stalled in Congress for decades.</a></p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pubdate field-type-datetime field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">June 12, 2012</span></div></div></div><!--
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<div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix clearfix">
<div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div>
<ul class="field-items">
<li class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/kylar-broadus">Kylar Broadus</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/trans-people-color-coalition">Trans People of Color Coalition</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/senate">Senate</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/tom-harkin">Tom Harkin</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/enda">ENDA</a></li>
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Tue, 12 Jun 2012 19:00:54 +0000aaronmcquade55547 at http://www.glaad.orghttp://www.glaad.org/blog/kylar-broadus-makes-history-senate#comments